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Pope: 2nd Vatican Council, work of Holy Spirit but some want to turn back the clock.

16/04/2013

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Pope Francis said the Holy Spirit pushes people and the Church forward but we resist
this and do not want to change. His remarks came during his homily at the Mass on
Tuesday morning celebrated at the Santa Marta residence which was dedicated to Benedict
XVI in honour of his 86th birthday. Susy Hodges reports:

Text follows:Pope Francis dedicated Tuesday's mass to Benedict XVI
16th who turned 86 on this date. “May the Love be with him, comfort him
and gave him much consolation,” he said.

Pope Francis’ homily at the mass
was centred on the theme of the Holy Spirit and our resistance to it. It took its
inspiration from the first reading of the day which was the story of the martyrdom
of St. Stephen who described his accusers as stubborn people who were always resisting
the Holy Spirit.

Put frankly, the Pope continued, “the Holy Spirit upsets
us because it moves us, it makes us walk, it pushes the Church forward.” He said
that we wish “to calm down the Holy Spirit, we want to tame it and this is wrong.”
Pope Francis said “that’s because the Holy Spirit is the strength of God, it’s what
gives us the strength to go forward” but many find this upsetting and prefer the comfort
of the familiar.

Nowadays, he went on, “everybody seems happy about the
presence of the Holy Spirit but it’s not really the case and there is still that temptation
to resist it.” The Pope said one example of this resistance was the Second Vatican
council which he called “a beautiful work of the Holy Spirit.” But 50 years later,
“have we done everything the Holy Spirit was asking us to do during the Council,”
he asked. The answer is “No,” said Pope Francis. “We celebrate this anniversary,
we put up a monument but we don’t want it to upset us. We don’t want to change and
what’s more there are those who wish to turn the clock back.” This, he went on, “is
called stubbornness and wanting to tame the Holy Spirit.”

The Pope said the
same thing happens in our personal life. “The Spirit pushes us to take a more evangelical
path but we resist this.” He concluded his homily by urging those present not to
resist the pull of the Holy Spirit. “Submit to the Holy Spirit,” he said, “which
comes from within us and makes go forward along the path of holiness.”